Kansas officials are racing to reduce mistakes in how the state administers food assistance benefits before new federal rules take effect. The state faces potential financial penalties ranging from $21 million to more than $41 million annually if it fails to meet stricter accuracy standards.
During a Tuesday meeting of the Senate Committee for Government Efficiency, the Department for Children and Families reported encouraging progress in lowering the state's SNAP error rate. Kansas averaged a 9.13% error rate during fiscal year 2025, but recent data from August 2025 showed improvement to 5.5% for that month. The federal government now requires states to maintain an error rate below 6%.
Committee Chair Renee Erickson, a Wichita Republican, emphasized the importance of meeting the federal requirement during the hearing.
Sen. Cindy Holscher, an Overland Park Democrat and gubernatorial candidate who serves as the committee's ranking minority member, noted that Kansas performs better than many other states. The national average exceeded 10%, and some states reported error rates above 20%.
Holscher stressed that errors don't necessarily indicate fraud, explaining that the SNAP application process is complex and mistakes often occur during legitimate benefit distribution.
According to DCF officials, most errors stem from paperwork problems that can be addressed through implementing additional verification steps in the approval process.